Floor polisher



J. F. CARSON FLOOR POLISHER May 20, 1930.

Filed Aug. 19 1927 [rm/ehborl Jesse; F Carson.

H is Attorn ey.

' Patented May 20, use

UNITED STATES JESSE F. CARSON, OF EAST CLEVELAND,

PATENT OFFICE v OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANER COMPANY, INC, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FLOOR POLISHER Application filed August 19, 1927. Serial No. 214,193.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective means whereby a rotary polishing brush may be quickly mounted underneath the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner and in such positionthat it may be driven from the shaft of thecleane motor, or removed therefrom.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention'is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the attached drawing which is illus- 5 trative of my invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner with the polish- -er applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a perspective a View of the polisher and its supporting brackets, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the ratchet b mechanism to prevent reverse "rotation of the polisher.

I have chosen'to illustrate my invention as applied to a well-known type of cleaner in which 5 indicates the casing of the driving motor, 6 its field magnet, and 7 its armature. 8 indicates the fan casing to which the motor casing is connected and 9 the suction fan which is mounted on the armature shaft 10. Attached to the fan casing and usually cast integral therewith is a nozzle 11 havlng an open" mouth or suction inlet at its lower end. In the front wall of the nozzle is an opening which is normally closed by a cover plate 12 when the cleaner is in operation. The discharge conduct 13 of the fan casing is normally connected to the dustbag when the apparatus is used as a vacuum cleaner. When the polishing brush is used, the end of the conduit is closed by a 50 cover 14 to reduce the load on the motor by at the tips.

decreasing the effective action of the fan. 15,1nd1cates the operating handle and 16 the'fioor wheels of which there" are three, two

in the front for supporting the nozzle and one in the rear under the motor casing.

Such a cleaner in normal use is also provided with a relatively small rotary brush which is located wholly within the nozzle except for the tips of the bristles which brush the surface being cleaned. The brush is driven by a belt from a small pulley 17 located on the front end of the combined armature and fan shaft 10. The brush is carried on a spindle having bearings at its ends and these are mounted in spring hangers 18 which are supported by the end walls of the nozzle.. Each hanger comprises a stationary member 19 which is firmly supported by the nozzle wall through part 40 and a movable member 20. The ends of the two members which are pivotally united at the top 'are pressed toward each other by a flat steel spring 21. The members vhave out-turned lower ends and the space between them is less than the diameter of the brush-supportin g bearings. Thusfar the description has been directed to a Well known cleaner as previously indicated;

2-5 indicates a relatively large diameter polisher in the form of a brush of any suitable construction having bristles which are stifl enough to support the weight of the cleaner without appreciable bending thereof way between the ends of the brush and by means of'which and a belt 27 the brush is driven by the pulley 17 The polisher has bearings 28 at its opposite ends and to each is secured a bracket 29, the lower portion 30 of which issituated wholly below the lips of the cleaner nozzle and the upper part 31 wholly within the nozzle, the two parts being connected by a horizontal offset portion, element or member 32. The portions of the brackets which carry the heads 33 are so spaced apart in an axial direction that the distance between them is only slightly less than the distance between the members 40 which 26 indicates a pulley located mid-f support the hangers. As a result of this the polisher is held against endwise movement.

The two brackets are preferably made of I punched sheet steel and are wholly independ- -ent of each other, their only connection being through the spindle of the polisher and *tlrebearings thereof. On the inner member of each bracket is fastened a relatively small ,7 rounded head 33 which is of such size as to once seated in the hanger it Wlll be retained permit of being pressed into a spring hanger through the open end by the application of a relatively small amount of pressure. \Vhen by the pressure exerted by the flat spring 21 on the two members of the hanger, WhlCh tends to move the-members toward each other at all times. 1

Since the heads or members-33 of the brackets entering the spring hangers are round, it

' 1s necessary to provide means for preventing the brush from rocking or moving back and forth with respect to the nozzle about the disks 33 as pivots as the device is operated. This is accomplished by so shaping and arranging the ofiset portions of the brackets that they engage the under surfaces of the nozzle walls and in so-doing form relatively large flat bearing surfaces or seats. The seat= i ing portion of each bracket is provided with a pair of struck-up lugs 34 which engage the front and rear lips 35 of the nozzle. The point of connection between theparts 30 and 32 of the bracket is cut away at 36' to provide clearance for the front floor wheels 16 on the nozzle so that it is unnecessary to adjust the wheels in applying the polisher. Another feature of the offsets is that they permit of the use of a olisher which is at least as long as the nozz e opening thereby ensuring the polishing of a substantial area at each I stroke. -The bearings being wholly outside of the nozzle and being'mounted on brackets im ose no restrictions as to the length of the po 'sher. The spring hangers within the noz-;

zle in addition to holdin the,.u per ends of the brackets also serve to 0 amp t e upper surfaces of the offset parts 32 against the under surface'of thenozzle. This is due to the-inclined fingers or parts of the hangerswhich engage theheads 33-at two pointsbelow the maximum'diameter thereof'and hence to pull the brackets upwa'rdl Inmounting the po isher in place, the first ste is to remove what ma be termed the norma brush together wit its driving belt.

Then one of the brackets is moved into align-;

ment with a spring hanger inside the nozzle and the head or member 33 is pressed home.

. After this the same action is repeated with I the second bracket and its head or member with the result that the polisher is'firmly se-- to cured in place. It .yvill facilitate theins'ertion of the heads 33 in the hangers and their removal if pressure be a plied to the hanger member 20 by the thum of the operator in a direction to move the same away from its companion part. The rubber belt 27 which-- I have illustrated a'type previous to mounting the polisher has to be slipped over thepulley is then pissed up through the nozzle and over the p ley on the armature shaft. This is done through the opening in the front wall of the nozzle- The polisher rotates at relatively high speed and in such direction as to'propel the apparatus forward. Theoperato'r through the handle restrains this forward movement and it is the 'difierence in speed between the peripheral surface of the olisher and the forward movement of the evice as a whole which causes the olishing action. Any suitable means may 1 e employed to prevent the,

reverse action of the polisher when the device as a whole is moved backwardly bythe operator. .Such a device is shown in Fig.3 where 37 indicates hardened steel rollers, 38 earn surfaces and 39springs to seat the rollers. With this construction, the polishing brush is free to revolve in one directionbut notin the opposite.

which is suitable for the urpqse described ut other types ma be emp oyed'so-long as they of spring han er function to hol the brackets and the polisher.

I have illustrated one type of polisher but it is evident thattlieinvention in its broader as ects is not limited thereto.

- at I claim as new and-desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A polishing attachment-adapted to be secured under the nozzle of a'vacuum cleaner having the usual motor, fan, and spring pressed cleaning brush hangers in the nozzle, comprising in' combination a rotary floorv polisher, bracliets which support the polisher elo'w the nozz e, each of'said brackets having a member which extends u wardly inside the nozzle and is supported and S11 ports one endof the polisher, and

means or rotatingthe olisher.

2. A polishing attac ment adapted to be secured'under the nozzle ofavacuum-cleanerj having the usual motor, fan, and spring pressed cleaning brush hangers in the nozzle, comprising n combination a rotary floor polisher, independent supporting brackets for the polisher, each of said brackets having a member which supports the polisherat one end, -a second member which extends into the nozzle and is supported by' a hanger, andmeans which engage the lips of the nozzle to hold the members against rocking movements. i i

3. A polishingattachment adapted to be y the hangers, a second member which extends downwardly secured under the nozzle of a vacuum cleanpressed cleaning brush hangers in the nozer having the usual motor, fan, and spring zle, comprising in combination a rotary floor pressed cleaning brush hangers in the nozzle, polisher, means having portions to support comprising in combination a rotary floor polthe polisher at its ends below the nozzle and isher, independent supporting brackets for other portions which enter the nozzle, extend the polisher, each of said brackets comprisinto the hangers and are held in place by the ing two members which are connected by an spring pressed elements thereof, and means secured under the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner offset portion which latter forms a seat and extending downwardly to a point below the engages the under surface of the nozzle, one nozzle lips for rotating the polisher. member of each bracket being seated in a 9. A polishing attachment adapted to be hanger, and means for rotating the polisher. secured under the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner 4. Apolishing attachment adapted to be sehaving the usual motor, fan, and spring cured under the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner pressed cleaning brush hangers in the nozzle, having the usual motor, tan, and spring comprising in combination a floor polisher, pressed cleaning brush hangers in the nozzle, brackets for supporting the polisher below comprising in combination a rotary floor A the nozzle, one end of each bracket holding polisher which extends lengthwise of the nozthe polisher, the other'end being seated in a zle, and a pair of independent brackets which hanger, and means located between the ends support the polisher by its ends and below of the brackets which engage the lips of the the nozzle, each of said brackets having a nozzle and prevent ,the polisher from rock- 35 member which engages the brush and a secingr ond member which extends upwardly into In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my the nozzle and is seated in a hanger. hand this 16th day of August, 1927. s

5. A polishing attachment adapted to be JESSE F. CARSON.

having the usual motor, fan, and spring pressed cleaning brush hangers in the nozzle,

comprising in combination a rotary polisher. which extends lengthwise of the nozzle, a

pair of independent brackets for supporting I 5 the polisher, each of-said brackets having a member which engages the polisher at one end and a second member which extends upr .ward into the nozzle and has an enlargement which enters and is held by a hanger, and Ibo means for rotating the polisher.

6. A polishing attachment adapted to be secured under the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner having the usual motor, fan, and spring pressed cleaning brush hangers in the nozzle, a

comprising in combination a rotary polisher, independent brackets for supporting the polisher, each of \which comprises a member which enters a hanger and is held thereby, a

second member which directly supports one v 1 end of the polisher, a fiat surfaced element which connects said members and is held against the end surface'of the nozzle by the action of the spring hanger on the first named A member, and means for rotating the polisher. 1

7. A polishing attachment adapted to be secured under the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner having the usual motor, fan, and spring pressed cleaning brush hangersin the nozzle, comprising in combination a rotary polisher g located below the nozzle, bearings for the polisher, independent brackets, each of which carries one of the bearings at its lower end and at the other end extends into the nozzle and is seated in a hanger, means for prevent- 4 ing the brackets from rocking, and means for rotating the polisher;

8. A polishing attachment adapted to be secured under the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner having the usual motor, fan, and spring 1:3 

